jbrooks54

I am new to this site, have been riding on a regular basis only for about a year, and would value the opinions of more veteran cyclists regarding my plans for my next bike.

I presently ride an older, heavy Trek "comfort" hybrid. I'm in my early 60's and generally ride " rails to trails" limestone trails, that in large part are well-maintained and compacted, but also have long segments that are much less well compacted and often little more than bare earth. My rides typically are in the 20 to 40 mile range, with occasional 80+ rides a few times a month.

I have been considering either a newTrek FX or Crossrip2; both sold at my LBS, whose main product line is Trek. A friend who is a road biker recommends something in the new Felt VR series ( not sold by my LBS).

Any opinions on whether I should stick with one of the two Trek models or go to the Felt?
Your input will be appreciated!

gringomojado

have a Trek Crossrip my riding conditions are much like what you describe. I love the CR

GlennR

You should look at the Cannondale SuperX. I have one with Sram Rival 1, but they make it with full Shimano 105 in your price range.

fietsbob

VR - Felt Bicycles
CrossRip | Trek Bikes


Looks like They are 2 brands, both aimed at a share of the same Market segment..

Here 1 dealer carries Both Brands Maybe there are 2 separate dealers where You Are.

Pick Dealer first then Get a Bike from them, is often repeated .. all thing being equal Judge the shop by it's service.




'/,

JonathanGennick 

There will always be someone who can suggest a brand and model you've not heard of, or that your shop doesn't sell. FWIW, I like the Crossrip for its somewhat wider tires (32mm versus 28mm on the Felt VR). If you like your shop and you like the Crossrip, there's no reason not to jump in and buy.

kuroba

I think the CrossRip is more like a Felt V85, which is an adventure road bike with relaxed geometry, comes with disc brakes and the ability to fit larger tires (which would make your rides off road more comfortable).

The CrossRip is a great bike, very versatile, some people here even race CX on them so it clearly can handle off road. If it had been available in a size small enough for me, I'd have bought it.

Fit is the most important thing when buying a new bike, so I'd recommend going for the ones available to you locally.

rumrunn6

are you sure you want to switch to drop bars?

Flip Flop Rider

LBS support is a factor here imo

jbrooks54

Actually, that is a fair question and I see I should have mentioned in my original post that I did borrow a few times a friend's bike (and old Raleigh)with drop handlebars for a couple 40+mile rides with no issues.

I hope that is not too small a sample size, but it does give me some confidence switching to drop handlebars from a comfort bike (which feels kind of stodgy anyway).

scott967

Felt VR replaces the Z, so it comes in a full line from alloy to carbon. A recent reviewer says he installed 35mm Schwalbe-G-Ones, even though Felt doesn't officially support that width tire. With the VR and the new Spesh Roubaix, it's clear that "endurance" road bike now means an all-surface disc bike.

I would look at what price you can get for a component spec you like and how you like the looks. Personally I don't care about who is a dealer for what, any shop will service any bike. Of course if there is warranty issue that's different. I don't have any data but I'm kind of unworried about warranty myself. I do see the Felt is BB386, not sure I would consider that a "plus".

Just my .02. I imagine either model will get the job done for you once you settle on tires you prefer.

scott s.
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jbrooks54

Thanks for the input. I think I will go with the Crossrip. I do think either model will work for me, but I will let my confidence in my LBS, which also is conveniently located for me, be the deciding point.

A different and unrelated note, I'm glad I found this site. I picked up a wealth of information just from scanning through the various posts and topics.